Sunday, 19 March, 2000, 08:24 GMT
Landmark poll in Senegal

By Mark Doyle in Dakar
The people of Senegal, one of Africa's oldest multi-party democracies, are
voting in the second round of a presidential election that looks likely to
be the closest ever.

The poll is widely seen as a test for democracy because, although the former
French colony has a liberal political history, the ruling party has won
every election that has been held there since independence.

Senegal has a political tradition that is almost unique in Africa.
Multi-party politics has been allowed here for many years. There is a
vibrant free press and, unlike most of the continent, this country has never
experienced military rule.

But, despite the liberal atmosphere, the ruling party has held near monopoly
power since independence, by splitting the opposition and the judicious use
of corrupt state patronage.

President Abdou Diouf is confident he can win again.

Opposition hopes high

But this time round the veteran opposition leader, Abdoulaye Wade, has also
assembled a powerful political coalition and the electoral arithmetic shows
that the opposition leader has a good chance of doing well.

Election fever is running high and, even before the first ballot was cast,
vicious disputes were raging.
President Diouf has sought to project a serene image to the electorate,
saying he represents stability.

But opposition leader Abdoulaye Wade has accused the ruling party of
planning to rig the result and said that, if it claims yet another victory,
he will not be responsible for the reaction of his supporters on the
streets.

"I'm talking about a state of emergency being declared on Monday morning if
President Diouf proclaims himself elected. Then Senegal will explode," he
said.

His warning of possible political unrest coincided with reports of a troop
build-up in the southern Casamance region.

The United States and France have both appealed for calm, regardless of the
result of the election.